Final Journey
by Don Biryani
Summary: Ash has forsaken his friends and disappeared. Only Team Righteous can bring him home. My first fic. Flashbacks and violence but no bad language or sex sorry.


**Disclaimer:**

I don't own any of the characters. Not even the ones I made up.

**Pokemon: The Final Journey**

Misty Waterflower, the leader of the Cerulean Gym and the world's greatest water pokemon master, was sat in a deckchair by the poolside. She had just retreated from the water and wrapped a large blue towel tightly around her. Her long red hair, still wet with droplets of water, shone in the sunlight that poured in through the long glass windows. Two of the pokemon, the gym's Dewgong and her own Politoed, watched her from the edge of the pool. The former, a green frog-like pokemon with big eyes and a curl atop its head saw that its trainer looked sad, she always did these days. The latter, elegant and pearly white, had known Misty for all its time, since it was brought to the gym as a Seel, and understood how Politoed was worried.

Misty's other pokemon were concerned too but she sat for such long times deep in thought that they had taken to watching her at intervals. They weren't the only ones who were worried either. Misty's good friends Brock and Tracey had been by many times to comfort her; her elder sisters Daisy, Violet and Lilly, who also lived at the gym had at least made sure she was eating.

One friend who wasn't coming by and to whom this was all accredited was Ash Ketchum. Ash and Misty had been friends for a long time; at least ten years. They had been best friends and very nearly more on many occasions. Ash was the world's greatest pokemon master. He had never stopped working to earn that title and his friends had always supported him. It was a horrible chain of events that they never spoke of that had led the man from Pallet town to forsake his friends and leave.

Misty knew that, by no account, had she been hit the hardest by his leaving. May had been Ash's girlfriend for a good few years and he had been truly cruel to her and her brother Max for some time before he disappeared. Ash's mother, Delia Ketchum, never understood or had a chance to say goodbye before her whole world collapsed around her ears and her son left in the same way that his elder brother, Blaze, and his father had – with no explanation and not another thought.

The one most hurt by Ash's departure was his oldest, truest friend and most loyal pokemon, Pikachu. The electric mouse that had been by Ash's side for as long as anyone cared to remember spent day-in, day-out, sat by the tallest clearest window of the Cerulean City Gym waiting for the day that his master, his friend, would come home.

Ash had been granted status as a member of the Elite Four, for his pure and sometimes unusual skill as a pokemon master. A week later he was suddenly gone. His good friend and fellow trainer Richie had discovered Ash's gym in Viridian City locked and after a search around his friends they had reported him missing. Pikachu had turned up suddenly at the Cerulean Gym with no idea where Ash had gone.

A day later the police released information through the press that Giovanni, the leader of the criminal organisation Team Rocket, had given himself up and all his units had been liquidised. To this day, Team Rocket remained very much at large, under new leadership, but nothing more shocked Ash's friends than to discover Giovanni's link to Ash's past and it solidified their belief that he was involved in the disappearance.

Three months on, Ash had supposedly reappeared in the Hoenn region. Someone had called the police and reported the sighting, remembering the face of the pokemon master. That person had reported that Ash had been wearing the distinctive uniform of a Team Rocket special agent and running towards a heavily armoured car. At first, Misty and friends had refused to believe the reports but when Ash mysteriously made a public appearance some months later at a trainers' gala in the Orre region they had little time to be relieved of his return.

May had travelled to Orre to bring him home; Brock and Tracey had accompanied her. When they arrived they found that Ash had established himself a new gym run by Team Rocket. There was no way of telling that the criminal corporation was in control other than that Ash's gym deputies were none other than Rocket agents Cassidy and Butch. And they had become far stronger than any had seen them before. All the trainers had advanced over the years but these Team Rocket agents were something else.

THEN

Brock, Tracey and May stood in the entrance hall to Ash's new gym. The hall was high and the marble walls and floor gleamed so that they could see their own reflections dancing with their shadows. Overhead security cameras clicked and whirred as they followed the progress of the visitors. At the far end of the room a huge metal door swung open. The room behind was dark and they couldn't make anything out.

May swallowed hard and shifted uncomfortably, digging her toes into the polished floor. She concentrated hard on fighting back tears as she gulped out with hope her boyfriend's name.

"Ash?"

"Yeah Ash, is that you?" Brock chimed in.

"Not quite yet," said a gruff male voice from behind the door. Brock clicked his tongue and pointed. He recognised the voice. A brawny man with short grey hair and a tall slim woman with long blonde hair stepped out sideways through the door. Both of them wore short white trousers and long black boots, short white jumpers and long black gloves. Tracey and Brock exchanged glances. It had been a long time since either of them had seen Cassidy and Butch. The agents' uniforms were both emblazoned with huge red 'A's. 'A's?

"You wanna get to the boss," continued Butch, "you gotta go through us."

"Boss?" asked Brock, "Your boss can't be here. This is Ash's gym."

"It is," chimed in Cassidy, "and he's our boss."

May choked and began to weep; she closed her eyes tight. Tracey moved as if to shield her from the Rockets producing a pokeball from his belt.

"If this is the way you guys want to play it," he said with a new anger that Brock had never seen in him, "we'll fight through you if we need to but one way or another we _will_ see Ash."

Cassidy laughed into the palm of her gloved hand. Butch smiled also and reached to his belt. Tracey tapped the button on the rim of his pokeball and it expanded in his hand. Butch brought his hand from his belt but instead of clutching a pokeball he instead trained a gun on Tracey.

"The thing is," he announced as Tracey froze to the spot, "the boss don't wanna see _you_."

May tugged on Tracey's sleeve and Brock stepped backwards as Butch waved the gun and nodded towards the door. To enforce the point Cassidy's beady-eyed Raticate appeared in the doorway behind her and snarled at the trio. May, Brock and Tracey had no choice but to back out of the building. Cassidy and Butch slammed the door as they left. Officer Jenny refused to allow the trio in when she investigated but when she returned she insisted that Cassidy and Butch were not there, Ash had every right to remain a pokemon official in the Orre region, below Mount. Battle, and he most definitely did not want to see his friends.

NOW

Misty was still sat in her deckchair when the sun began to set outside. Her skin and hair had long since dried of its own accord and she had been shivering for some time. The purple eight-pronged Starmie and a gym Seaking had now come to watch over her. The pokemon took it in turns to stay with her because they knew that she was aware of them and that if she really felt alone she would cry and maybe never stop.

Finally Misty's boyfriend Rudy came in. He was a gym leader from the Orange Archipelago. Rudy had always loved Misty and yet, he was one of the very few who understood her feelings for Ash. The Ash-Misty relationship had always been waiting as an idea, but never became a reality. Misty had waited for Ash and Rudy had waited for Misty and here they were.

Rudy knelt next to Misty's armchair and wrapped his arms around her. He buried his red-haired head into her shoulder and shook her gently. Misty craned her neck to look at him. He gazed pleadingly into her eyes.

"C'mon Misty," he implored, "ya gotta eat something today."

Misty muttered something under her breath and shook her head.

"At least get dressed so you wont freeze to death." Rudy continued to beg her.

"I'm alright," she murmured, "don't worry about me."

"Oh come on!" Rudy begged emphatically. "Everyone's worried about you Misty. Even May."

"Alright," she said finally, with great apathy, "for May," She looked deep into his eyes, "and maybe for you." She raised a hand and stroked his face. He held that hand with his own and put his other hand under her chin; he lifted her face to kiss her, and then, holding her hand tightly, led her from the room. Seaking submerged and Starmie shuddered before diving after it. The ripples spread and then faded and all was still. Pikachu's ears twitched but he did not look from the window.

Rudy watched Misty as she sat in front of a huge shell rimmed mirror and straightened the knots in her matted hair with a brush. It was far warmer in her room than it was by the poolside and the colour had returned to her skin. She had changed out of her swimming costume and into a loose t-shirt and baggy pants. Rudy had draped his black blazer around her shoulders and sat on her bed in his black long-sleeved shirt and jeans with his arms folded.

The wonderful shine, like a star in the evening sky, had disappeared from Misty's bright blue eyes but she was alert enough to know that Rudy had something to say; probably, he was an emissary from the others.

"What is it?" Misty asked. "I know you have something to say Rudy," she stood up, crossed the room and sank into his lap, looking deep into his eyes, "when you're hiding something, your eyes change colour. From that lovely green to this guilty stone grey."

He stole a look in the mirror, she was right. He wrapped his arms around her waist and looked as her as if to ask whether or not she really wanted to hear what he had to say. She swallowed hard and nodded.

"Misty," he addressed her, seeming to stall as much as possible, "this has got to stop." Rudy watched for a sign that she knew what he was talking about but she gave none. "You spend all day by the pool Misty, you don't look after yourself and your sisters have to force-feed you. May spends all day locked in her room, Mrs. Ketchum cries for hours on end and goes to visit _you-know-who_ all the time and Pikachu… Pikachu is a lost soul." He paused again for a sign from Misty.

Pikachu was indeed a lost soul, she thought. It had lost many friends over time, Ash's pokemon came and went, as did his friends; Togepi had been left behind all that time ago and now this. As for whom Delia had been going to visit, it was shocking. Professor Oak had alerted them when he found out that she had been going to the prison in Viridian City to visit Giovanni, the former head of Team Rocket. They knew the controversial reason why but were reluctant to confront her about it.

Rudy shook his head and continued, unsure of whether Misty was still listening to him.

"We need to bring Ash home."

"Don't you think I know that?" Misty turned on him in a rage. "We all went at one time or another. Those Rocket swines won't let any of us through. Ash runs that town he's in. You can't get within a mile of the place."

Rudy held Misty's head as she broke down into tears.

"I've spoken to Brock and Tracey," he said, "they've told me about Team Righteous."

Misty pulled away and glared at him accusingly.

"Don't you dare," she screamed between sniffs and tears, "don't ever, _ever_ call them that. It's their fault that any of this ever happened."

"And they've offered to help."

"_Don't argue with me!_" Misty raged at Rudy as she cried harder. "You have no idea what they put us through. They were useless and annoying. They stalked us for years and there was nothing we could do. Suddenly they give up and want to help? I didn't want their help then and I don't want it now."

"But they admitted their responsibility and begged you to let them help set it right. We need to get Ash back and none of us can get to him. Like it or not Misty, I think the only ones who can help Ash now, are Jessica and James."

THEN

"Seviper, poison tail attack." Jesse commanded and flung her right arm out. A pokeball slipped from her grasp and, in a burst of red light, a huge snake pokemon, black with gold markings and long sharp red fangs emerged. Seviper tore towards the enemy, its barbed tail glowing.

"Cacturne, go and use spike cannon." Jesse's counterpart, James, whipped a pokeball of his own off his belt and hurled it. Another red flash and the cactus like pokemon flipped out of the energy into battle. Cacturne leapt forwards after Seviper with its arms outstretched and glowing.

"Go Sparky." Yelled their opponent, Richie. His Pikachu leapt off his shoulder and stood strong in front of the attacking pokemon. Seviper approached writhing its body like a whip and brought the poison barb down on Sparky. Sparky dodged and ran up the length of Seviper's body, clinging to its head. Cacturne aimed its attack and hundreds of tiny energy spikes burst forth from its hands. Sparky tried to manoeuvre Seviper into the path of the missiles but Cacturne was swift and Seviper was strong.

The three trainers called out attack commands from the sidelines.

"Seviper, bind it."

"Cacturne, use your body slam."

"Sparky, thunderbolt."

The battle was a blur. Cacturne was too strong a grass type to be phased as Sparky let out a powerful electric attack but the shock caught Seviper in the chest. The huge snake reared up, blocking Cacturne's body slam. Richie commanded again and Sparky hit Seviper square in the face with the shock sending both pokemon reeling into their trainers. Something exploded and both trainers, the pokemon and their companion Meowth were suddenly sailing through the air screeching.

"We're blasting off again."

Some way away they came back down. Plummeting into a thick growth, Jesse managed to catch hold of a branch. Her ribs were aching but she pulled herself up and looked around. She could see from her perch, high up in a huge, strong tree that James and Meowth had landed, not too far away, in a dense hedge. As Jesse clambered down to the ground the two of them were rushing to meet her.

"Aargh," she grunted, "I've had enough of this. How many times have we decided we weren't gonna carry on like this and then forgot and did anyway?"

"Too many times Jesse." James gave her a straight answer as he set about picking leaves from her long red hair. She returned the favour, extracting a small twig from his blue hair, before brushing the rest of herself down.

"Isn't it about time we stuck to it? I mean how long have we been trailing the twerps around anyhow?"

Her colleagues shrugged. It was along time. Team Rocket was no longer what it used to be anyway. Giovanni had become more and more obsessed with special operations and regional bosses like Doctor Nonba were taking control increasingly. Cassidy and Butch had long ceased to be involved in independent fieldwork; leading teams and overseeing procedures, and ex-military agents like Attila and Hun were getting more common. Recent turf wars with Team Aqua and Team Magma had exhausted a lot of resources and Jesse, James and Meowth had not been paid in ages.

The "twerps", as Jesse put it, had even ceased to be, the Ketchum boy and his friends had all gone their separate ways and stopped travelling around. Chasing Richie in the hopes of getting a powerful Pikachu was getting tiresome and old. Ash himself was soon to become a member of the Elite Four after being proclaimed the "world's greatest pokemon master". Jesse and James, like everyone else, had grown as trainers, and were fairly good, but were surely no match for the most elite of the Elite Four.

The three of them decided, there and then, that they would quit team rocket. Jesse and James resolved to find "real honest jobs" and concentrate on becoming better trainers and better people. For the most part they didn't find it too hard but when they turned up at Professor Oak's laboratory, where Brock, Misty, Tracey, May, Max, Richie, Gary Oak and Ash were exchanging thoughts and data leading up to Ash's ascension to the Elite Four, the welcome was very frosty indeed. They hadn't expected to have a friendly reception, but to be removed from the building by the police after apologising profusely and offering everything they had to make amends, they were unhappy, to say the least.

After Ash had gone missing, the police investigation had started at Jesse, James and Meowth. The trio immediately told the police everything they knew and when the case wrapped up after Ash's reappearance they were pardoned. It was during the investigation that the trio became Team Righteous as they were subjected to community service for their crimes as Team Rocket. Society, supposedly, had seen clear to forgive them but their nemeses never did.

NOW

Misty had stormed out of her room and was charging through the long aquarium corridor under the pool. Rudy chased after her protesting loudly but she refused to hear him. He continued to call after her but slowed to give her space. Misty strode on unsure of where she was heading but determined not to acknowledge Rudy. From the corner of her eye, Misty saw several of her pokemon following their progress from the water on the other side of the glass. Suddenly they swam off and Misty became aware again of Rudy's pleading.

"Misty stop and listen to me please. Mist…" he stopped abruptly as Misty turned on him.

"I've heard about all I want from you." She snapped. "You have no idea what's at stake here and I can't, for the life of me, figure out why you even care."

Rudy flared up, an odd anger burning across his face.

"_How dare you?_" he yelled. Misty suddenly seemed so much smaller. "How dare you even suggest that I don't care." As he calmed his voice Misty began to wish he'd continued to shout. "Sure I don't know the gory details of this situation and I don't understand, but Ash is my friend and so are the others. I care about May and I care about Pikachu and, even though, you've selfishly put all your feelings before theirs, I still love you. Misty," she winced at the sound of her name and in her head implored him not to continue, "I'm hurt, and very disappointed in you."

Misty bit back a response and yet more tears. Rudy stepped up to her, reached around her and removed his blazer from round her shoulders. Throwing the coat over his own shoulder, he turned on his heels and swept off along the corridor in the direction they'd come.

Misty shook her head to clear the feeling of bemusement then with new determination, still unsure where she was headed; she turned her back on Rudy and… stopped. Now in front of her in the corridor stood Pikachu, watching her with a blank expression on his tiny yellow face. Misty stared at Pikachu for a long moment; the sound of her own breathing was deafening. Pikachu stood stone still, his ears were folded flat at the sides of his head and his red pouches were swollen and crackling. His eyes were puffy, his fur was ruffled and he looked as though he had barely enough energy to stand.

Misty knew then that Rudy was right, she'd been selfish, Pikachu and May, and for all she knew, Ash were depending on her now. And the only help she could get was from Jesse, James and Meowth.

Officer Jenny shielded her eyes as the helicopter kicked up a dust cloud on the landing pad. Her Houndour sat obediently at her feet and let out a low growl as two figures alighted onto the deck. The man was tall and gangly with flickering blue hair and a chiselled face. He wore a black shirt and trousers and his long white coat draped open. The woman was only slightly shorter, slim with very long purplish-red hair. She wore a white blouse and skirt with black knee-high boots and long black gloves. She also had a long flowing coat, black with a large, loose belt.

They approached the policewoman and James presented her with a brilliant red rose. Jenny graciously accepted the offered flower and bade welcome to Team Righteous. Houndour curled his lips as the third member, Meowth, stepped out from behind Jessica's legs.

"Nice doggy." The cat pokemon scoffed.

Jenny placed a hand on Houndour's head to settle him before gesturing to her car. Team Righteous followed her and climbed into the back. Jenny drove away from the landing dock, through the centre of town. As they passed the Pokemon centre on the left, Officer Jenny turned sharply down a side street, which opened into a large clear courtyard. At the far end of the space was a huge plain building, whitewashed and pebble-dashed. The police car pulled up and Jenny opened the doors for them. Jesse and James stood to one side and saluted Officer Jenny as Meowth wandered off. Jenny got back into the car and drove off and the humans followed their pokemon companion towards Ash Ketchum's gym.

In the grand marble entrance hall Team Righteous surveyed the security cameras, whirring in the corners. No sooner had the entrance door closed behind them than the great door at the other end of the room swung open and Cassidy and Butch strode in. A speaker mounted on the wall buzzed and crackled and a tinny version of Ash's deep disembodied voice rang out.

"Well, well, well. Team Righteous. It appears that we continue to coexist. Were it not for my mysterious disappearance, you would not _be_ Team Righteous and, were it not for you, I would not be here. And so it comes full circle and you have come to take me home."

His words sank into them. They barely recognised his voice and they were filled with a sense of dread and despair. Cassidy and Butch stood like statues awaiting instructions. They received them.

"Cassidy. Butch. Battle them. One pokemon each and then bring them to me."

"Er, what if we beat them boss?" asked Butch gingerly.

"They won't"

Cassidy and Butch looked taken aback. Jesse and James stayed emotionless but each plucked a pokeball off their belt; their opponents followed suit. James spied the gun attached to Butch's belt. Both duos took a few steps back. James tripped over a loose marble slab as he backed up and dropped his pokeball. Cassidy smirked as the pokeball rolled away and under a desk but James simply said "oops" and produced another.

All four of them let fly the pokeballs at the same time. Cassidy released the dark-skinned, jewel-eyed Sableye and Butch released the fighting monkey pokemon Primeape. Primeape was a hardy veteran and its fur and exposed skin had darkened. The hair on its head bristled and it snorted and bucked and flexed its muscles. Jesse's pokemon was Cloyster whose shell was covered in sharp spikes, and James chose Victreebel, a bell shaped grass pokemon that had recently returned to him. Victreebel, like Primeape, was an experienced pokemon that had adopted its shiny colour. Its once green leaves were brown and its fleshy lips had turned a pale shade of blue as though the flycatcher had been out in the cold.

Without a word from the trainers the pokemon launched at each other. Sableye aimed to dig its claws into Victreebel who grabbed it with its vine. Primeape committed an assault on Cloyster who withdrew into its shell as the monkey brought its tough gloved fists down upon it. Victreebel was shrieking and waving Sableye around when Cassidy commanded a shadow ball attack. Sableye composed itself and pushed dark energy into Victreebel's body sending both reeling backwards. Victreebel rolled over and hurled a razor leaf barrage at Sableye. The bright-eyed pokemon landed deftly on its feet as the sharp leaves collided with its chest.

As Primeape continued pummelling Cloyster's shell Jesse ordered her pokemon to use a hydro pump. Water erupted from the extensions on Cloyster's shell pushing its assailant into the air. Victreebel used its vine to grab Sableye by the leg and hurled it into the air. Ash's deputies' pokemon collided in mid-air. Sableye and Primeape's forward motions forced them back towards the ground. Victreebel's vine whip wrapped round them both and smashed them into the marble floor. As Sableye and Primeape attempted to disentangle themselves, Cloyster came at them from behind and clamped onto Sableye's head. Primeape jumped up in a rage and leapt at Victreebel. Butch ordered a slash attack but, far beyond the point-of-no-return, the Pig Monkey roared into an awesome thrash attack.

Butch laughed, beaming with confidence as Primeape unleashed its most powerful, most unstoppable attack on Victreebel but the plant-type did not fear as, with one simple command from James, a thick and potent stun spore rendered Primeape immobile. Officially the battle was over. Unofficially it ended a few moments later when Sableye succumbed to Cloyster's strong clamp attack. All pokemon, defeated or triumphant were returned to their balls and James made to claim the one he had dropped but Butch seized his arm and turned him away.

Cassidy and Butch led Team Righteous through the door and down a long dimly lit corridor. At the end of the corridor they found themselves standing in a massive bright room; floodlights stood at the each end of a huge asphalt pitch, marked out in white chalk. It was a stadium, a pokemon stadium. At the furthest end was a massive chair, like a throne. On one side of the throne was a great stone statue of a Charizard in flight, balanced on the other corner was a magnificent marble sculpture of the legendary Ho-Oh.

"Jessica and James," called Ash Ketchum as they crossed the room, "and Meowth of course," he added as they drew nearer. "Team Righteous my old friends," he mocked. "How long it's been. Never long enough of course when it comes to you three." His face distorted into an evil sneer.

He was dressed in a long sleeved shirt and cord trousers, black with slight flares on the cuffs and hems. He gripped the arms of his throne with his hands and his visitors saw that the arms were studded with pokeballs. His thick black hair was smoothed back with gel and his eyes were dull and narrow. Team Righteous barely recognised him and were instilled with a sense of unfamiliarity.

"I know my 'friends' have employed you to get me 'home', otherwise why would you be here?" he laughed slightly as he humoured himself with sarcasm. "I don't know how you intend to do that as, I imagine, neither do you. After all, I have you to thank for being here in the first place."

THEN

Ash, the world's greatest pokemon master, was reclining in a leather swivel chair behind his desk at the Viridian City Gym. The temporary leader Claire had just passed the gym onto him, as he was the newest member of the Elite Four. He leaned back with his feet on the desk and ran his hands through his mussed up hair. His official pokemon league hats were laid out on the desk in front of him and his faithful pokemon Pikachu was sat between them, looking at him. There was a knock at the door and Ash's secretary entered.

"Excuse me for interrupting sir," she said timidly, "but there is a lady and gentleman to see you."

Ash groaned. From tomorrow there would be dozens of trainers massing on the gym for battles, tutelage, and advice. He had seen all his friends today and he was getting very fed up of the sight of people. He had only just managed to get his girlfriend, May, to leave him in peace. He loved her but, from time to time, he wasn't sure if he actually liked her all that much.

"Who is it?" he asked the secretary.

"Um. They said their names were Jessica and James sir."

"Jessica and James? They have a Meowth with them?"

"Yes sir. Should I show them in?"

Ash was at a loss for a reason why Team Rocket should even think about coming to see him. He nodded and his secretary gestured to the visitors on the other side of the door. Jesse, James and Meowth strode boldly into the room. All three wore long black coats and black hats but the two humans clearly still wore the Team Rocket uniforms; huge red 'R's emblazoned across their chests. Ash leapt out of his chair and Pikachu turned quickly, electricity crackling all around his tiny yellow body.

"Truce." Jesse said immediately.

"We come in peace." James chimed in.

"Yeah. We mean you no harm." Rattled Meowth though he knew well enough that if it came to fighting Ash would not be the one getting harmed. Ash knew it too.

"I don't care," he snapped, "what do you three want?"

"We've come to offer you something." Jesse announced.

"Oh. And what might that be? I mean, I can't honestly think of anything you might have that I would want." Ash replied scornfully.

"Now hear us out," retorted Jesse, "the thing we've come to offer you is… wait for it… Team Rocket." Ash frowned at her.

"Why would I ever want to join you?" he asked, though not looking for an answer. Jesse laughed lightly and slumped into a chair facing him. James gripped the back of another chair before taking over their pitch.

"We were thinking less of a hand-in-hand situation," he smiled, "more of a head-on-a-platter deal." Ash looked puzzled and James gave it time to sink in before continuing. "We have, for a long time, been looking to try something new. Quit Team Rocket y'know? We have expressed this to you on more than one occasion." Ash nodded. "We're well on our way to finally achieving this goal but we have unfinished business. I don't know if you were aware of this, all we can hope to do is offer the information in an attempt to make amends with you, but the main headquarters for Team Rocket Kanto… is here."

"What? In Viridian City?" Ash enquired, "I mean, I assumed there was an office in each city, but I never knew the headquarters was so close." Jesse laughed again.

"It's not just in Viridian City Ash, can I call you Ash? It's _here_, under the gym."

Ash looked very sceptical. Jesse got up and followed James to a point in the wall behind Ash's desk where three huge wooden panels joined. Feeling along the inside edge of the two outer panels, Jesse and James swung the wooden panes outwards. Now to either side of the middle board was a card key reader. Jesse and James each swiped a key and the centre panel sank into the floor. Behind it was a heavy metal door with a handle built into one side. James turned the handle and opened the door. Inside was an elevator with a red button for up and a green button for down.

"I think our welcome is just about expired." Noted Jesse and she tossed her key to Ash. James followed suit and the three of them made for the door. As they reached the exit Jesse turned back. "Unless you want some help?" she called to Ash.

Ash looked at her, incredulous.

"I'm not going to launch an assault on Team rocket headquarters. With or without your help."

"Suit yourself," she replied, "you have the keys. You do what you want. We have jobs to go to."

Ash couldn't sleep for thinking about the elevator that led down into Team Rocket's headquarters hidden behind the wall in his office. His mind played tricks on him and he began to imagine level upon level of hidden labs, thousands of caged pokemon, and legions of Team Rocket lackeys patrolling the corridors.

He knew that he would be going down there. He knew it was stupid but he would be going all the same. He had to go alone too; he couldn't jeopardise anyone else, not even Jesse and James. He didn't want to risk Pikachu either. This was a hidden level below the building in question. Either he would be in and out in no time or he would not come back at all. Pikachu was sleeping in his basket across the bedroom. Ash quietly got up, dressed and left the room. Pikachu did not stir.

Going downstairs to the store, Ash chose, for the first time ever, a Pikachu-less team of six pokemon and headed for the office. Using the keys to open the door he stepped carefully into the elevator and pressed the green button. The lift shook and began to roll downwards.

It was only a matter of seconds before the elevator shaft opened onto a long dark corridor. As Ash walked out of the lift, a sensor clicked and the lights came on. He found himself walking between tanks with pokemon in. Not cramped cages like he had imagined but large spacious tanks. The sleeping pokemon within seemed content enough.

There was a Kingler, a Rhydon, a Machamp and some others. Ash recognised them as the pokemon used by Jesse and James in this very gym all those years ago. He remembered then that he had never got to meet the real gym leader. He also remembered the sheer horror that had crossed the face of his then-rival Gary Oak as he lay on the battle-floor.

Ash kept his hands on his pokeballs as he followed the corridor round. He still expected to exit onto a huge factory or laboratory. Finally he reached a standard wooden door with a brass knob. Cautiously he turned the handle and the door opened. He steeped through into a small room much like his office upstairs. At the far end was another door. To either side of the far door, curtains had been partly drawn, and above it was a large projector screen, rolled up into its bracket. Ash looked up and saw the projector facing towards it with connecting wires trailing into the wall. Ash was stood behind a desk and chair. On the desk was an active computer; the screen showed pictures of various pokemon, rare pokemon – Mew, Lugia, Rayquaza and others.

As Ash stared at the screen the door at the other end of the office clicked and opened. Light filtered in behind the silhouetted figure of Giovanni, head of Team Rocket. Ash had seen him only a few times before and not for a long time. Giovanni walked steadily across the room, looking at Ash as though he was an expected guest.

"Jesse and James tricked me didn't they?" Ash asked quietly when he saw Giovanni's expression.

"I don't think so," he answered, "I'm not sure those two are even capable of such a feat but I don't know what you're talking about because I haven't seen them for weeks now. In fact," he laughed, "I got a note saying they were leaving Team Rocket for good. As many times as I've tried to get rid of them and now they go of their own accord."

"Oh," said Ash, "but they told me to come here."

"I see. I don't know why they did that. Perhaps they meant it as an apology to you. I know all about you Ash, the world's _greatest_ pokemon master. It can't have been good all those years to have one group or another of Team Rocket agents following you around and," Giovanni's eyes glinted and he pointed at the computer screen, "as you can see, I have little personal interest in your Pikachu. No offence."

He gestured for Ash to sit down. Ash did so.

"I imagine you came to shut me down today Ash. I suspect you intended to bravely battle through wave upon wave of Rockets to get to me and then stop me for good. Honestly, if you stop me, someone else will take over; you've met the good Doctor Nonba.

"Also, I'm somewhat bored of this. I've become too sidetracked. I left home once upon a time to start my pokemon journey. I was never good at it. Not like you, you're a natural of course. I grew up and got a family, a wife and two sons. When my first son left to become a trainer I also left again, swearing that I would not return until I was a master. Foolish I know but I've succeeded and all these years I've just been too afraid to go home."

Ash listened intently. At first he had wondered why his nemesis felt he should be able to open up to him and tell him everything. Now, certain references made by Giovanni had started to gnaw at the back of his mind. Giovanni saw him adding and calculating.

"I'm so sorry Ash," he said, "I really am. I know now that you know. If it could be any other way." Ash didn't want to hear it but he knew it to be true. He felt more betrayed now than he had ever been, even when his mother had told him of the abandonment by his long-lost brother, and his estranged father who was now sitting in front of him. Ash didn't know what to think, much less what to say. He said nothing.

All of a sudden, the door through which Giovanni had entered flung open. Officer Jenny and several other police with a pack of Growlithe burst into the room. Two officers charged over to Giovanni, handcuffed him and muscled him out of the room. A third officer started rifling through the draws of the desk whilst yet more began to dismantle the computer. Jenny came to Ash and asked if he was hurt. Once she had assured herself that Giovanni hadn't harmed him she followed the others from the room. Ash was left alone.

For a long while Ash sat alone. He realised that Giovanni must have known he was coming and called the police moments before. Only when he started to shiver did it occur to him that the police had left the door open. He got up and went to look outside, confused about where the door exited the building. Ash emerged into an alley alongside the gym. Without warning he felt something hard and heavy strike the back of his head. He fell to the ground.

"That's not him," he heard a gruff voice say, "that ain't Giovanni."

Someone pushed him and he rolled over. Looking up through blurred vision he saw Cassidy and Butch staring down at him.

"Oh, but it's someone far more interesting." Cassidy cackled. "The police must already have Giovanni. Let's take him instead."

Ash blacked out.

NOW

Team Righteous knew the rest of the story. They knew how Ash had taken over from Nonba and they guessed that Cassidy and Butch were in his employment because he'd made them a better offer.

"So Team Righteous," Ash addressed the trio, "thank you all for coming but I won't be going back with you. Cassidy, Butch, remove them please."

'Team Ash' sidled up along Team Righteous and gestured for them to leave. Before they had time to react Cassidy had clamped her arms around Jesse and Butch had grabbed James by the arm and they tried to force them out. Jesse instinctively dug her elbow into Cassidy's ribs and brought her heel down on her toes while James twisted in Butch's grip and punched him hard in the stomach. Cassidy hopped away and Butch collapsed to his knees. Team Righteous rushed them together but 'Team Ash' managed to roll away. At some point they switched opponents. Butch was far stronger than Jesse and she was caught wriggling in the air with his arms round her waist. Cassidy was faster than James and he was unable to touch her as she pushed and tripped him.

Then Meowth entered the fray. Leaping onto Butch's face causing him to drop Jesse, Meowth tore into him with his sharp claws. Butch brought his hands up to protect his face and managed to shrug Meowth. As he opened his eyes, though, Jesse swung her leg round in a very high kick to the chest and knocked Butch to the floor. Jesse leapt onto him and started angrily slapping and punching him as hard as she could in the face. Meowth went to help but Raticate suddenly appeared and flattened over him, pinning him to the floor. Nonetheless, Butch yielded to Jesse's onslaught.

In the meantime, Cassidy had mistimed an attack on James and had sacrificed her footing. James tripped her and she hit the floor hard knocking her unconscious.

"Now Mr. Ketchum," said Jessica standing up and brushing herself down, "prepare for trouble." Ash rolled his eyes but James took the cue to join in.

"Make it double."

"To protect the world from devastation."

"To unite all people in every nation."

"To denounce the evils of truth and love."

"To extend our reach to the stars above."

"Jessica."

Silence. Jesse waited for her partner to apply the next line.

"You know Jess," he said instead, "this motto makes a lot more sense now."

"That's why it was a good idea to keep it James… _James!_""James."

"Team Righteous blast off at the speed of light."

"Surrender now or prepare to fight."

Meowth gave a muffled "that's right" as he continued to contend with Raticate. The two token pokemon rolled around in a ball, fur flying.

"Enough!" Ash commanded. He rose from his throne pulling a black apricorn heavy ball from the arm. "Let's end this," he shouted as he hurled it into the air, "I choose you Glalie." Red light erupted from the pokeball and the horned icy-face pokemon burst out of the light. Glalie glared at the trio with icy blue eyes as Ash commanded "Detain them with Ice Beam."

Glalie rushed towards Jesse and James and they found themselves trapped, their feet stuck fast in a block of ice. The ice began to creep up their legs as Glalie turned on Meowth. Butting Raticate out of the way it froze Meowth's feet too.

Ash stepped down from his throne and walked towards them with Glalie bouncing around him. He acted slowly, scrutinising them as they were slowly covered in ice.

"There is a good way to finish this," he said showing them another pokeball, "here's a pokemon I liberated from Doctor Nonba's lab. Surprised that I was to find her there." Ash threw the pokeball. "Mew, I choose you." The diminutive cat-like Mew span out of the red energy emitted from the pokeball and hovered steadily in the air.

Ash stepped closer to the frozen Team Righteous with Mew hovering beside him. He pointed at them and barked out a command of "psywave". The wave breezed past the captive trio tearing through their minds and stinging their skin. They shuddered and Ash smiled. They watched him, not knowing what he would do next. Standing back he waved his arm and ordered Mew to commence his Tombstoner attack. Then his smile cracked, as the ice reached their waists, Ash saw a clear view of James' pokebelt on which there were six pokeballs. As he mentally checked the significance, James chuckled.

"I don't often get the chance to say this," he laughed, "and it feels great every time. Pikachu, thunderbolt attack."

Pikachu vaulted into the room and unleashed an electric attack on Mew. Mew recoiled, halting its death-move attack. Pikachu skidded to a stop in front of Ash and glared at him. Ash looked at Pikachu and, for a moment, a slight relief flashed across his face then he scowled.

"Pikachu? My Pikachu? You get into your pokeball for them? You attack me at their command? You will pay for your treachery. Mew finish what you started; Glalie take Pikachu."

Mew once more commenced his attack. A light aura surrounded her, building in intensity. Glalie rushed Pikachu who dodged then jumped and blasted out with a thundershock. The lightning missed Glalie and burned through the ice block holding Jesse and James. Only a small amount of the ice was chipped off but one of James' pokeballs was freed. As it hit the floor he shouted at it.

"I choose you Weezing." Weezing, the poison gas pokemon burst from the ball. It, like Victreebel, had recently returned to James and was a veteran on the team. Its purple skin had turned a steely grey colour and it reacted immediately to its trainer's commands. Seeing Jessica and James trapped it coughed out a fire blast. The flaming star melted through the ice instantly. As Weezing continued to work on the ice prison Mew's attack reached its climax.

"Weezing look out." James yelled as the tombstoner attack surged towards them. Weezing launched a hyper beam attack on the ice. The block split and Jesse and James fell to the sides, Weezing shot out of the way and the attack whooshed past and fizzled harmlessly behind them.

Pikachu launched an earth-shaking thunder attack at Glalie. The face pokemon conjured up an ice shield in front of itself and the lightning attack bounced off. The shock careened into Meowth, still partially frozen. Meowth's ice prison refracted the lightning, splitting the bolt. It hit him in his chest, face and left shoulder. As it hit his golden charm it shorted so, with the ice block keeping him out of contact with the ground, he absorbed the whole shock. Golden electricity pulsed over Meowth's body and he began to glow. Ash, Jesse, James, Pikachu, Weezing, Mew and Glalie all looked on as the unthinkable happened; Meowth began to evolve.

The bright white glow subsided. Meowth was gone. Persian was in his place. The ice that had held him was shattered at his feet. The red jewel in his forehead gleamed and shone. He shook his head and saw them all staring at him wide-eyed and open-mouthed. He spoke slowly with a drawling tone. His voice seemed calm but his hairs bristled and there was fire in his eyes.

"Enough. Enough now. It had to come to this? So be it."

An unearthly wind picked up around him. It had all the sense of an oncoming powerful attack, an attack uncharacteristically powerful of Persians or of Meowth, or of a pokemon newly evolved, but this Meowth, who had maxed out its experience learning to speak human, was pushing all the boundaries now. Persian let out a low growl; his fur stood on end and whipped wildly about. He rolled his tail out straight and opened his mouth wide, bearing his sharp fangs.

Nothing happened. All went still.

Ash took a moment then steeled himself.

"Finish this Glalie. Blizzard attack."

A wind kicked up. A chill wind with flecks of snow and hail lashed around them. Weezing fought his way through the surging blizzard, snow gathering on his faces. As Weezing reached Glalie it swung up over it and launched a sludge attack into its eyes. Glalie's attack ceased. It was incapacitated and couldn't see. Then another wind came rushing through. Persian's eyes glinted as its foresight attack kicked into action. A tornado ripped through the room flashing in all the colours of the rainbow and cracking with fire and lightning.

Ash was the first to awake. Jesse, James and Persian were collapsed in a tangle on the wet floor. Glalie, Weezing and Mew were sprawled across each other in a heap. Pikachu was flat on the floor alone, some way away. Ash stepped over the unconscious Team Righteous and looked down at his once best friend. Producing pokeballs he returned Mew and Glalie and took them and the unconscious Pikachu to his huge chair. As he gently laid Pikachu on the seat he heard Jesse stir behind him.

"You did this," he accused her, "you did this to Pikachu."

Jesse rubbed her sore head and her cold legs and looked at him, quite unable to believe what he was saying.

"You did this," she said in response, "your selfishness and thirst for power did this. You didn't see him, the way he sat by the window of Waterflower's gym, daily, from sunrise to sunset, waiting for you to come home."

Ash stalked across the room towards her, staring her down across a gulf of inches. Then all the rage he had ever felt welled up in him and, as Jesse clambered to her feet, he hit her across the face, hard, with the back of his hand. She fell back to the ground and, screaming, he pushed the toe of his boot into her chest and stomach. Jesse tried to scream in pain but with each blow he knocked the breath out of her. Crouching down over her, he clasped his hands around her throat.

As the life began to drain from Jesse the room went suddenly quiet. Ash heard a click and jerked his head to see James pointing Butch's gun at him. James walked slowly towards Ash focusing the gun at his head. Ash's grip on Jesse loosened and she gasped. Ash stood up and faced James.

"You're not going to shoot me Jimmy," he said confidently, "poor little rich boy doesn't have the pokeballs for it."

"Don't tempt me." James responded, almost pleading.

Ash mocked him, laughing evilly and making baby noises. He kicked Jesse again and stood on her wrist. James winced as Jesse screamed out and he pulled the trigger.

The barrel was empty. The pistol had never been loaded. Ash roared with laughter pushing his foot down harder on Jesse's arm. Fire burned in James' eyes.

"Poor Jimmy," Ash scoffed, "powerless to the last, even with the greatest weapon of man in his hand. Even with that great useless blob by his side." He swept some loose stone chips off of the floor and hurled them at Weezing. Jesse began to sob and Ash kicked her again.

That was the last. James lunged forwards and battered Ash across the face with the upturned handle of the gun. He spun the weapon in his hand and struck Ash again and again until, bloodied and with a broken nose, he finally fell. James dropped the gun and fell to his knees. He continued to beat his fists into Ash's face and chest for a few more seconds until he had no energy left. Jesse put her hand on his shoulder. It was finally over.

Ash awoke in hospital. He rolled over and looked at the bedside cabinet. It was covered in get-well-soon cards. The door clicked and a tall sandy-haired man walked in. He sat in the chair next to the bed and looked disapprovingly at Ash.

"They've all been here," he said pointing out the cards, "but when you go home they may look at you differently for a while."

"What about you Richie?" groaned Ash. Want to lecture me on my selfishness?"

"I'll leave that for Jessica when she finally gets out of her own hospital bed. Personally I'm just glad to have you back. I've been waiting for ages to become a pokemon master now and the only badge I need is yours."

"Where's Pikachu?" asked Ash with genuine concern in his voice.

"At the pokemon centre with the rest of your pokemon. You may have a lot of questions to answer from Nurse Joy and Officer Jenny when you go to claim the poor things."

"Yes. It's right. Professor Oak will never forgive me."

"Somehow I think that's the least of your worries. I'll let things cool down for you for now Ash but, if the Elite Four don't crucify you, I'll see you next week for my Master Battle."

Ash stood on the green podium of the Viridian city gym. Richie stood on the red one. On the benches at the sides of the pitch were Misty, Brock, Tracey, May, Max, Gary, Delia Ketchum and Professor Oak. Richie threw a pokeball into the arena shouting, "Go, Zippo". A Charizard flew forth from the red energy beam and landed with a roar in the centre of the field.

Ash looked at the yellow electric mouse on his shoulder and said, "Ready Pikachu?" Pikachu acknowledged with a nod and jumped off his shoulder launching a thunderbolt attack.

FIN


End file.
